HOUSTON — Massage Heights Houston encourages potential customers to “give your body and mind a break from the stress of everyday life.” During September and October their then-23 locations added mammograms and breast health awareness to their stress-relieving menus. As a result, area owners and regional representatives recently presented Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose a check for more than $40,000.
“We are thrilled at the amount,” JD Busch told Gibbons of the amount raised through pink ribbon sales, offers of elevations, and $10 donated for every massage offered on Tuesdays in October. “But we are already looking toward next year and how we can help you serve even more women.”
Busch and wife Tammy are Regional Developers for the growing enterprise that continues to add franchisees in the Houston area. They own three sites and were eager to make both an economic impact in Texas as well as a compassionate one. When they discovered The Rose, they eagerly accepted the challenge of coordinating not only fundraising but on site mammograms.
“I was so excited when I learned that woman after woman who had delayed their mammograms – sometimes for years – made appointments at one of our Massage Heights locations,” said Tammy. “Relieving stress is what we do and adding The Rose Mobile Mammography in September certainly helped us accomplish that mission.”
Gibbons relayed to the owners that 44 mammograms were provided in the month-long mammogram push and an additional benefit was the amount of exposure The Rose Mobile Mammography Program received. With the addition of a fourth van, The Rose is encouraging businesses to “save time, money and lives” by booking a day of mammograms for their employees. Parking the bright pink van with pro-mammogram messaging in the high traffic locations like Weslayan Plaza and Vintage Park – the location raising the most funds – became an added benefit to the partnership.
“We know that two of the biggest barriers to access to healthcare are cost and convenience,” said Gibbons who co-founded the nonprofit that reaches more than 36,000 women each year almost 30 years ago. “Fundraising efforts like this very successful one with Massage Heights and the opening of doors to our mobile fleet means we are removing those barriers and truly helping women make their health a priority. We are so grateful to JD, Tammy, and every owner and Massage Heights employee who made this partnership such a success.”
The Rose welcomes others businesses and corporations to join the growing number of clients who feature the Mobile Mammography Unit during Employee Wellness programs and/or host a Mobile Mammography day at their workplace. Email [email protected] to learn more, about The Rose Mobile Mammography. To set up a site visit, please call 281.464.5136 or e-mail [email protected].
In photo: (Left to Right) JD Busch, Kristyn Hamilton, Gillian Reed, Mickey Peterson, David Vu, Brian Reed, Ian Blake; Front row: Taylor Bates, Dorothy Gibbons, Theresa Castro, Hang Hu, Tammy Busch
